Need help with self-defeating eating

Oh, no. There is a place where snacks are constantly available and free? That's the worst of all possible worlds! I am such a chronic, impulsive grazer. I have no idea what to suggest.

Oh, wait. Here's something I just thought of. You will see this nowhere else. It will only work if you have 1. A good imagination 2. A sense of humor

Intrigued?

When my sons were little, they used to play a game called "The Floor is Made of Lava." From now on, whenever you go by the snack cube, imagine that the floor is red, hot, pulsing molten rock. If you drop a piece of paper in there, it will burst into flames. If you take one step inside, you risk at best burning your feet, at worst .... too gruesome to imagine. If you do manage to get to the snack table, anything you eat may make you just heavy enough that you won't be able to make it back out.

(If you need to go in to get coffee earlier in the day, the good news is that due to a hereotfore unknown geothermal time flux, the lava is cool enough to walk on first thing in the morning. You have to move quickly, though, or you will feel the heat through your feet. By mid-afternoon, the lava is at its most dangerous. Don't risk it!)

I almost always bring snacks for the afternoon. It's usually yogurt or fruit. When I was successful, I found that having protein really helped. But I've noticed that once I started snacking, I would visit the local team "snack" cube because I still wanted to munch. Sometimes it's boredom or stress at work. Being realistic, there are times I don't care but I can't let the weight come back. Guess I have to decide because I can't eat everything I want and still loose weight (because I do have some physical restrictions).

Don't look at weight loss or good health with an all or nothing mentality. if the only healthy thing you do today was to drink 8 glasses of water, that's still a step in the right direction.

I know there are people who feel a compulsion to eat certain foods i.e. one bite isn't enough. they absolutely have to eat the entire bag of whatever. If you have that sort of personality, then you might have to avoid any of those trigger foods. Get them out of the house. Out of sight. Out of mind. replace them with healthier foods that you can snack on instead.

Spark People has never been about deprivation. It really is all about moderation and portion control. A cheeseburger, bacon, candy, brownies, etc... can all be a part of a healthy lifestyle as long as you are mindful of the portion. I can't imagine living a life where I wasn't allowed to eat something because I was worried I'd gain weight. That isn't healthy.

A person shouldn't be afraid to eat. You don't have to be perfect to be healthy. If you were to eat right 5 out of 7 days this week, you're still doing better than the average American. I've always felt that the goal for a person should be to eat right most of the time, not all the time. We need to cut ourselves some slack once in a while, because we are human and not machines to be controlled and regulated.

You are doing so many things really well. You should congratulate yourself.

You are right that "eating this one thing won't make a difference." It's not what you do on one day, it's what you do every day that matters. I tell myself that "once or twice a year won't kill me, and evaluate that way.

What happens in the middle of the afternon at work? Do you eat the snacks you brought with you? Do you eat something else?

BYEPOUNDS
Posts:
7,204
4/30/12 11:05 P

Glad that you shared. It's like a giant puzzle, and you are working hard. Glad that you reached out. I'm impressed that you are sticking with it.

Well, I've been with SparkPeople since Jan 2010 and lost a total of 58 lbs. Over the last year, I've gained 20 lbs back but mostly in the last couple of months. I'm really struggling and am getting depressed because I certainly don't want to waste all that hard work. I've been overweight most of my life but just can't seem to force myself to say no to the extra Nutrigrain bar, the extra yogurt, the three pretzels, the cottage cheese, etc.

Good things:

I've been eating more fruits and veggies the last month so that's good! I've also been increasing my water consumption -- I average about 12-15 glasses a day because I drink from a 24 oz tumbler.

I've walked 278 days straight for exercise averaging 20 min a day. I have arthritic knees and lower back that prevent most exercise like bike riding, swimming (hurts my knees) or aerobics (knees).

I gave up pop again. I didn't drink pop for the first 11 months I did Spark People but then one turned into another, etc. I've not had pop for 4.5 weeks now. I do miss it.

Bad things:

I have good intentions each day and do well with packing my lunch for work to include fruits, veggies and enough protein for snacks. My worst time peroid is afternoon. I guess I need to figure out how to get myself to stop.

I have my motivational pictures in a few places. I know rationally that I shouldn't eat this or that but the irrational side says something like "eating this one thing won't make that big of a difference" for example. I've heard it's like that for someone who's an alcoholic. Just one taste, right? Alchoholism runs in my family and I'm thinking that they solve issues (or think they do) by drinking but somehow I seem to use food. Part of the issue is that my husband is overweight as well but doesn't care about losing weight. Well, maybe he's in the same boat as I am but just not speaking his mind...I think it's harder for men.

Sorry if this is a jumbled post but I've resisted posting for quite awhile. I am very frustrated and not very happy with myself. If my leg was long enough and my knee bent the right way, I'd be kicking myself. Instead, I just do it mentally and emotionally.

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